■91-'.] TO THE UNITED STATES. 247 



the soul of everything" [in the government] and that "the security 

 of the United States depended entirely upon his ability." Again he 

 wrote : 



" Hamilton, who knew only America and was unacquainted with Europe 

 except through books, was a lover of a strong centralized government which 

 knew how to command obedience without compromise. Civil war did not 

 frighten him, because he was a man of courage and had natural military 

 ability and believed and in fact was accustomed to say that the United States 

 would never have a real and stable government until internal dissensions 

 had proved its necessity and caused it to be established. . . . He was of 

 small stature, had an admirable composure, very small eyes and had some- 

 thing of the mysterious in his countenance. He spoke French, but very im- 

 perfectly. He was a man of much intelligence and kept a close watch upon 

 himself. He was very brave, disregarded personal interests in his public 

 service, was an admirer of the laws and of the government and financial 

 system of England. He was very dictatorial and was very jealous of the 

 prerogatives of the executive power." 



Besides these interesting features, the diary has another of per- 

 haps greater value, namely, some remarkable passages which de- 

 scribe the group of French emigres at Philadelphia and the intimate 

 relations existing between some of the chief among them. 



It has already been noted that Moreau de Saint-Mery estab- 

 lished a book-store and printing press at Philadelphia. His house 

 was located at the corner of Front and Walnut streets. From the 

 catalogue which he published at the beginning of his career as 

 bookseller," it can be seen that his store offered for sale many books 

 printed in English, Dutch, Italian, Spanish and French — a fact 

 which must have attracted not only cultured Philadelphians, but 

 also the French emigres in the city. His store became in fact the 

 rendezvous of many notable exiles from France. Talleyrand, de 

 Noailles, Talon, de Beaumetz, Demeunier, La Colombe, La Roche- 

 foucauld, due de Liancourt, and the due d'Orleans (the future Louis 

 Philippe) were all visitors at the shop of Moreau. Some of them, 

 including Talleyrand, Blacon and de Beaumetz, frequently remained 

 for supper and like boys scuffled and played pranks upon one another 

 about the store. 



In regard to Talleyrand the most notable of the many emigres 



'A copy of this catalogue is still to be found in the library of the Amer- 

 ican Philosophical Society. 



